True Crime Chronicles: Women who killed boyfriend in Hindsville in 2007 will become parole eligible in September 2027
- Dennis McCaslin
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
Lisa A. Rivers, born August 26, 1968, stands as one of only two women from Madison County currently incarcerated for murder in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Serving a 30-year sentence at the McPherson Unit, she was convicted in the 2006 killing of her boyfriend Melvin “Junior” Burks in Madison County, a case that drew attention in the small, rural county in northwestern Arkansas.
The crime took place in late 2006 in an area known for its rugged Ozark Mountains, tight-knit communities, and challenges with substance abuse. Rivers and Burks had a relationship marked by domestic strife and involvement with controlled substances.
During an afternoon of drinking alcohol, using methamphetamine and marijuana, and horseback riding near Hindsville , Rivers began arguing about money with Burks. She picked up a .30-.30 lever-action rifle, pointed it at him from several feet away, and shot him once, killing him.
She told police she did not remember putting her finger on the trigger and claimed the gun fired by accident, though she admitted knowing it was cocked and intending to scare him into returning her money. After the shooting, she reportedly told him something like “Cowboy up. I just nicked you.”
Prosecutors presented evidence that Rivers played a direct and culpable role in Burks’ death, meeting the legal threshold for first-degree murder. A jury convicted her of the primary murder charge with a firearm enhancement in Madison County Circuit Court,.
On March 27/28, 2007, the judge imposed a 30-year sentence on the murder count with concurrent 10-year terms on related charges. She was received into the Arkansas Department of Corrections on March 29, 2007.
The conviction was affirmed on appeal in September 200 with the court noting substantial evidence supported purposeful conduct even though a sufficiency challenge was procedurally barred.
Rivers faced additional counts, including fraud and drug paraphernalia offenses, and there was a 2007 report linking her to matters involving eluding authorities or attempting to hire help in that context.
Now 57 years old, Rivers has served more than 19 years of her sentence. Her first parole eligibility date is September 20, 2027.
Her case remains notable in Madison County history as a rare example of female-perpetrated homicide in this part of the Ozarks.
The story continues to serve as a cautionary tale about the destructive impact of long-term substance abuse and unresolved domestic conflict in small mountain communities across Arkansas.
